prepare your taste buds. hi, welcome to assignment 7. today on our program. new trend in prescription drugs that is moving, precludes .... >> create a vibrant center of commerce that benefits the local community. >> and coastal mecca with for the disabled and critics are making waves to block it. >> and a party for hundreds of east bay high school students where they are climbing the ladder of success. >> let's begin your 7 on your

side investigation. four people face several charges of defrauding alameda county residents in a mortgage rescue scam. >> this home on a lot in brentwood was supposed to be their dream home but the recession hit the contracting business hard. the home went into foreclosure and then a friend approached them and said it would saver their home. >> an opportunity to try and save our land basically is something that we were very interested. >> pat asked us not to use her real name. they practically guaranteed it would work. >> ones we have are even higher than that. we now have aligned ourselves with the bankers that are representing the homeowners as well as some private banks. >> brandon lee hosted a web

show. in it the bank would sell it back to her at a 75% saving. >> buying your loan from the bank and then conveying it back to you at a discount and then using bank credits and tax credits. >> the widow's office says the problem with the -- the district attorney's office says it doesn't work. >> they say it's real estate fraud to save the homes from foreclosure but in fact were putting false documents under a false promise. >> the grand jury has handed down a 29 count indictment against alan david tekal who is doing business in a trust

company. he is las vegas jail and could get 22 years in prison for mortgage secured fraud and filing false documents. three other individuals face similar charges but far fewer counts. the host of the web marketing team were not indicted. their attorney says the charges are resilience. we know have no banks that ever complained. >> the larger problem, the homeowners stand to lose their homes in foreclosure when they stop paying their original loan. >> a check of property records, along with a company caa, inc. out of las vegas have been involved in transactions. they service the loans and paperwork. notthey were not namn

indictment. she says a lot of people have asked about this foreclosure rescue program. >> it's very sad because they are going to end up in a worse situation. >> the grand jury indictment lists the ten homes in alameda county. two are in hayward including one unit in this townhome complex. three of the homes are in oakland, two are in fremont and the others are in union city and berkeley. four of the homeowners we reached said they were sure they were being scammed. all paid what the contract called for a donation of $3500 to caa inc.. she advises her clients to stay away from this program. >> you want to believe what they have to say, but they will do more investigating on their own. >> in the end, pat took mary's

advice. >> the oregon department of justice confirmed it ordered the man and referred to the man to the criminal division. also the office of comptroller and currency that tekal was trying present himself as private banker. we'll continue to follow this and keep you posted. california's farmers are faced with a new array of green technology. growing green isn't cheap and could lead to higher food prices. david louie has the story. >> farmers today have to spend serious money to keep food prices down for consumers. newest generations of combines can cost close to half million dollars. many are turning to green systems. the price can run $4 million and farmers qualify for a 30-year

tax credit and one year depression. >> it would run water pumps and smaller style system and interested in the large processors, cold storage, cotton gin. >> steam is new technology. it was invented in australia. >> it's very gentle method. >> a ban on burning cutting when nut trees are pruned makes this $350,000 shredded the right technology at the right time. >> development for 15 to 20 years and we have 35 in the running. it's coming to its time. >> farmers that use flood irrigation to water their crops have a new low-tech solution. it releases a flag that signals a time to shut on off the water. >> flood water continues to

travel even after you shut it off. what we really wanted to happen is the head of the flow to end at the field end. >> what is this? the future farmers of america trying to set a record. as much as they are pushing the technology, the very foundation of agriculture remains human energy. there is new trend in health insurance, to pass along the costs of highest price medications to patients. bay area lawmaker is working to change that. carolyn johnson reports. >> you need let your insurance company know that every day goes by that you don't take this drug they are costing a neurological function. >> she was managing her multiple sclerosis cost her nearly $700 a month. its specialty drug.

that means she pays 30% of the cost of the drug rather than a simple co-pay. >> i went into credit card debt. >> we are working on do i go, do i pay my mortgage, do i go into debt if which is common thing, or they are going without some of the essentials of life. >> stewart fairy is policy director for the national multiple sclerosis society. of the xhos common drugs four are used to treat ms. >> they are so frustrated because they are paying premiums what insurance is supposed to be about is spreading the risk. the very nape of insurance. >> it started under medicare part "d". michelle vogel is director and she has been tracking the impact. >> just in california, the majority of private insurers are using these tier 4's and

whatever happens in medicare happens in private insurance. when i was looking at the private plans especially in california you are seeing the majority of plans have put in tier four plans. >> the wide range of illnessesis change, cancer, arthritis, even hemophilia organ transplants. >> if you have to pay for it. why bother transplanting to begin with. >> 61% of americans put some sort of prescription medication take it a day. so it is alarming when health plans are reclassifying drugs into to a tier four category. >> assemblywoman is proposing legislation in california to prevent health insurers from moving vital medications to tier four status. >> we're trying to ensure that

patients are able to afford the medication they need. so we are going to look at a system as well as a cost containment for individuals on medication. >> what the cost is for a given drug starts with the manufacturer. we ought to look there and both the health plan and the individual have roles to play in contributing to the cost of drug. >> pa rick johnson is ceo of the california association of health plans. he is concerned about legislation that prevents cost sharing. >> if we have a drug co-pay that is tiered then we can control the costs and make it more likely that more people can afford insurance. >> but a growing number of patients are finding themselves face a huge financial burden simply to get the drugs their doctors prescribed.

>> nobody is not going to choose not to take them. that is out of the question. >> when we continue, people are making waves over development plans on the san mateo county coast. why some are resisting a proposal to assist you've got a strawberry pop-tart, bui've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and this is the warm fresh baked taste... of a strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat.

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90 calories and high fiber. so that's why this diet thing is working. but it's weird because my wish for lorenzo came true. [ male announcer ] fiber one 90 calorie bars. hungry no. results yes. welcome back. as developmental proposal is making big waves. the plan is to build houses for the developmentally disabled. as dan ashley reports, it's dividing a normal, peaceful community. >> on sunny weekends, princeton by the sea is crowded for tourism. they come for the seafood and scenary and to be near the spot that giant waves draw surfers from all over the world. life on san mateo county is

ideal but not if you are a young adult with a developmental disability. >> lack of jobs, lack of care, lack of housing. >> jeff's daughter is autistic. many of the people on the team have grown up together. >> my older son, patrick is almost 25. >> most team members still live with their families and many are eager to move out. >> get away from my dad. >> dreams but there is no housing in the area for people about w developmental disabilities. so jeff decided to build some. >> to be a place for a gym and dining room for educational programs for those with developmental disabilities. >> they own this property by princeton by the sea.

they want to turn night the big wave wellness center a model community. they promise state of the art green buildings and organic farm and 80 jobs for disabled peoplet then to support the wellness center financially they want to build a commercial office park next store. >> create a vibrant center of commerce that benefits the community and create more jobs and revenue for the wellness center. >> the polls here on the field show the signs of the building. >> the building are in back. >> but the plans are being blasted by critics say they want to help the disabled but this project is too big. the committee for green foothills has been tracking development in the area for 30 years. >> this is the largest project by far they've ever considered. 225,000 square foot of office space would double the amount of commercial and office space on the coast south of pacifica. >> from sky7hd you can see where

the field and office park would be. they say it would violate zoning rules, that it's too close to the a airport across the street and would bring too much traffic to narrow roads. there is a mobile home park to the north and they are fighting the plan. >> the buildings are grossly out of scale with the surroundings. height of the buildings. >> they rise up right in the middle of this continuous open space. >> supporters and critics disagree on virtually every point. the planning commission has sided with developers voting to okay the project. now opponents are going to the board of supervisors. >> the appeal says the environmental impact report was not adequate. one big concern is the sensitive wetlands that used to extend on the big wave property but now stops right at the message. >> wetlands are very valuable areas and we have very few left.

>> the developers say they will restore the wetlands on 40% of their property but critics believe the marsh would come back better if the development was a lot smaller. while the two sides fight it out the clock is ticking, for people who want to live in the big wave center. >> we don't know if we're going to get it. but we would have a sense of security for her. still ahead, a race to record history. the local project that calling all employees before they vanish. >> and basketball team hey! you want that? you want a warm, super-delicious strawberry toaster strudel yeah but now i have nothing to eat sureou do. hey! you can have the pop tart! pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat than listening there'to our favorite songs. there's nothing we love more

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world war ii ended more than 65 years ago and men that fought those battles have been chronicled in books and tv and movies. >> i graduated from high school and the next year there was the shipyards. >> that is how world war ii changed edith's life. she was doing traditionally male jobs, women who proudly called themselves rosie the riveter. >> they were hiring in the shipyards and i was married.

but i wanted to work. >> she put her memories down for a history project at u.c. berkeley. >> the name of the project is rosy the riveter experience project. >> that is why and academic specialist are recording and logging these stories so they won't be forgotten. >> every aspect n of our world seemed to turn upside-down. it's extremely important to understand why and how it happened. >> that was for the watertight doors and the ladders. >> the transformation begin with the japanese attack on the u.s. fleet at pearl harbor. millions of men left their jobs to join the armed forces. that left defense factories critically short of manpower it

needed. that is where woman power came in from the bay area and beyond. >> places like the tiger shipyard would encourage workers come away as far as from arkansas and missouri. >> that influx of different people continues to this day. they have recorded more than 130 rosies so far and they want to hear from as many as they can. the recent death of one is a reminder that is short. she spawned the iconic poster from the road. many of the ladies are now their 80s and 90s. >> the fact that this generation is getting older brings us a renewed sense of urgency. >> eric thomas, "abc 7 news." >> staying with ladies, the basketball team is one of the top ranked in the nation thanks in large part to two sisters.

mike shumann has more. >> they have outscored oregon, 31-27 on their own. >> she tried not to influence her sister where she wanted to go to college. so shenay made the logical choice. >> it was decision but i took night consideration, like you are having a sister there would be beneficial. >> once the decision was made, big sister factor kicked in. >> me had helping her and guiding her through her experience. >> i had a 24-hour personal coach on and off the court. >> there are advantages of communicating with a sibling on the court. >> there is a different language that people don't really understand. >> even though they are not twins there have been confusing moments. >> earlier in the year and shenay and i think that way. >> i really do.

>> she helped her learn to adjust to the game and their head coach. >> shenay is more of a free spirit but they are wonderful to work with. they bring great enthusiasm to the team and i love coaching both of them. >> winning a title would help the school. >> you don't want her as a roommate? >> not yet. >> at stanford, mike shumann, abc7 sports. >> still ahead, clinging the ladder of suc the party at male announcer ] using frontline plus shows your pet you care... by unleashing a complete killing force against fleas and ticks. and not just adult fleas. what makes frontline plus complete is that it breaks the flea life cycle -- killing adults, eggs, and larvae. and it keeps killing fleas and ticks all month long.

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than listening to our favorite songs. but our favorite thing is eating totino's pizza rolls. but our favorite thing is eating totino's pizza rolls. ♪ we're the kids in ameri ♪ oh, oh, oh [ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. [ female announcer ] but in two weeks, you could feel ready. introducing yoplait light's two week tune up diet plan. you could lose 5 pounds 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit. oh...neither have you... sean. well, yeah. [ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up. welcome back. a party was thrown in february for a group of high school students in oakland. laura anthony reports, that is one of the perks of making the grade.

>> its party in the middle of school day, for hundreds of skyline high school students that are making the grade in the classroom. >> why are you here? >> i got a 4.5. >> i've never -- i got a 3.5. >> it's called climb the mountain of success. it included more than 800 of the 1900 students. invited to celebrate their achieving at least at 3.5 grade point average or raised their gpa by half a point in one semester. >> it was hard but i worked hard. >> i want to say i'm very proud of all of >> oakland mayor two children graduated from skyline and went on to ivy league colleges. >> the reality, there are different schools and many of the schools in the hills and mid lands are among the best in the state. >> administrators at skyline believe this event is especially

important in a district where only one-third of young african-american males even graduate. >> we want to recognize this success to encourage themselves. >> hope is that the success that these students will send a message to others. >> to live a happy life, to get good grades. >> hopefully many more parties in that their future. >> if you want more information on other stories today, go to www.abc7.com. look under the news links for assignment 7. i'm kristen sze. thanks so much for joining us. we'll see you back here next